But both want to take root in Saratoga County—demonstrating how strong the county’s pull has become for the legal sector.

Jones is the third generation running his family’s 114-year-old law firm, located in a historic brownstone in downtown Troy. Personal injury lawsuits provide 70 percent of billings.

Singer is a partner at Couch White LLP, a firm not yet 25 years old. He focuses on energy and environmental regulations.

This month, E. Stewart Jones Law Firm PLLC and Couch White opened offices in Saratoga County. The two are just the latest of the larger or better-known law firms to expand into that market from a base south of the Mohawk River.

“If we’re going to go anyplace, Saratoga makes the most business sense. We really must be there to meet client needs,” Jones said.

Couch White is leasing an office in Malta, one exit south on Interstate 87. Last summer, the firm bought the practice of a solo attorney in Saratoga Springs.

“Saratoga County is a hub of economic development,” Singer said. “We thought it would be worthwhile to be closer to that.”

For many, it’s a matter of following the money.

The median household income in Saratoga County is $66,000, making it the second-wealthiest of the 52 counties upstate, according to government data.

Saratoga County’s population grew 9.5 percent from 2000 to 2010—the fastest expansion in the entire state. It’s a prime spot between Albany and the heart of the North Country.

Saratoga County is also home to a $4.6 billion factory where GlobalFoundries Inc. is making computer chips.

GlobalFoundries started production this year, after receiving the largest incentives in state history to locate in the town of Malta.

GlobalFoundries has 1,100 workers, and expects to hire about 300 more this year.

Law firms have many motivations for choosing the Saratoga area, from proximity to existing and new clients to the possibility of new practice areas.

Firms have two ways to break into the market.

One option is to open an office, as Jones and Couch White have done. Harris Beach PLLC just extended its lease on Broadway, downtown’s main drag, through 2014.

“We saw the influx of business. We saw the population push,” said managing partner Bill Flynn. “We needed a physical presence.”

The other option: Buying a Saratoga law firm and making those attorneys “of counsel,” meaning they do not have a financial stake.

Saratoga’s legal sector is defined by small firms, either solo attorneys or practices with not even a half-dozen lawyers—easier to acquire and integrate into an existing law firm.

John Lavelle took that route in February 2011, when he acquired the law practice of Dean Coon, a Saratoga Springs attorney and native.

“There is a nice demographic of wealthy retirees and business owners, the segments important to us,” Lavelle said. “All those little suppliers to GlobalFoundries with good, profitable businesses are our best type of client.”

Lavelle & Finn LLP, founded 20 years ago, is based in Latham and mainly focuses on estate planning and business consulting.

The firm will spend the next year turning the Saratoga office into its only full-service location outside of Latham.

“We can piggyback on what Dean has accomplished in 30 years in that community,” Lavelle said. “We will be hiring in that office. It won’t take much of an uptick before we will need more horsepower.”

Lavelle has focused on details such as which company he uses to give holiday gift baskets to clients. He switched to a Saratoga Springs business this past December.

That same month, Carter Conboy moved its holiday party from Loudonville to Siro’s Trattoria in Saratoga Springs. Carter Conbody entered the Saratoga Springs market in June 2011, buying a firm on Broadway.

Billings stemming from the new office are ahead of budget, said chief operating officer Michael Catalfimo.

“This is not some mail drop. This is the real deal,” Catalfimo said. “It’s early, but we’re very satisfied. It’s been a good move, no doubt about it.”

Jones is synonymous with Troy, where he was born and raised. But Saratoga Springs is where his grandfather took the bar before opening the law firm, and where his father tried a case that launched his career.

In a soft opening, Jones is leasing office space on Broadway from West & Co. CPAs. He plans to hire at least one full-time attorney and related staff this year to operate the office.

“For some people, coming across the Twin Bridges and the river to get to Troy is an inconvenience and deterrent to hiring us. We’ve eliminated that,” Jones said.

A formal opening is set for March 1. Jones is developing an advertising campaign and a new website, to launch by the summer. He declined to disclose the investment.

Jones, 70, said the Saratoga Springs office can help cement his firm’s future. Jones has no family members in line to take over, and will eventually pass the firm along to someone else.

“It really is the right move for us,” Jones said. “Clearly, this is a long-term strategy. Looking down the road, it will be a very effective and fruitful exercise.”

asichko@bizjournals.com | 518-640-6818 | Twitter: @adambizreview

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